Evelyn Fairclough
Evelyn Fairclough is an apprenticed physician, studying under Daggerfall's mages and alchemist guilds. Glennish and noble in origin, she has been living in Daggerfall after the war. She has taken an oath to never spill blood again, swapping the tools of war to the tools of a healer to uphold and maintain her vow. Appearance Of slender build and standing at around 5’7. Receiving the traits of Glennish nobility; fair-skin despite her time under the sun, angular features, grey-eyes and high cheekbones. Her shoulder length, light-brown hair frames her face though it is often pulled back into a bun. Under her right eye sits a scar, another to the left of her jaw – the result of a clash with a stab-happy dissenter at Fontfort, a dagger, and her face. She’d lost a few teeth in the matter (“at least they were only molars,” she’d say, “because then no one knows they’re missing”.) Sustaining a leg injury, Evelyn walks on a painful limp. In spite of all, she by all accounts, appears to be a happy individual. Equipment An assortment of coats, jackets, a wide-brimmed hat and one walking cane. She keeps prayer-beads wrapped around a forearm, a gift from her Master. For when she’s performing her duties and tending to patients, Evelyn wears wax-coated clothing and a leather apron over that to keep herself clean and dry. She always keeps a leather satchel on her, containing surgeon’s tools. Evelyn, despite her pacifism still keeps her arming sword. However, unlike chevaliers who wrap the hilt in a prayer-cloth, she has tied a length of cloth, and on it a written vow from the crossguard to the scabbard so that she may never use it. It sits on display in her residence – as a reminder of her promise, and a way to strengthen her resolve to resist temptation. Character Biography Soft-spoken, warm and mild-mannered, Evelyn possesses a comforting demeanour desirable in any medical practitioner. After her role in the war, she has developed an acute appreciation for life. Genuinely concerned for her patients and the poorly, she is driven by a rigid determination to do whatever is in her power to aid those under her care. She prefers to avoid confrontation, leaning towards diplomacy and solving conflicts with words – a veiled redirection from more undesirable and contentious situations. Living the life of what most see to the pacifist, along with her feigned clumsiness, cheerful politeness and docile nature she may seem to some as a coward, a pushover, a doormat. In this respect, they’re not wrong. Despite all, she is still given to gallows humour but never – oh, the gall! – in front of patients, how rude! Having somewhat of a clownish personality, she is easily bored with inaction, drab talk of war, politics, finance – hardly a dinner conversation! – but politeness is a must, so she will listen or at least appear to while her attention wanders. Only a select few (namely her hypochondriacal Master, also a member of the cult of Mara) know of her participation in the war and her vows. However, the intimacies and personal details of the war are kept to herself and her family. She remembers her own bloodlust and cruelty; realising there is wrongness to that, her current attitude and life serving as a way dampen and suppress – or even forget her psychopathic tendencies. Talents Not one given to law, politics or military, along with her acquired distaste for each Evelyn surrounds herself with tomes, scrolls, hefty books on medicine, anatomy and the like. With her determination for the preservation and improvement of life, she invested into her studies of the craft, aiming to expand her knowledge and improve her skill. This, along with her innate magical ability, Evelyn is quite the promising physician. History Born the youngest child of eight, Evelyn was the third daughter to the Baronet of Crombury Moor, Rowland Fairclough. However, her mother suffered an infection during birth, and was not able to survive. Rowland tough but fair-minded ruler, but an absent and distant father. With the large age-gap between herself and some of her siblings, Evelyn became attached to – or rather, bonded closely to the ones that grew up with her when they were children; and the ones much older acting like parents to the ones much younger, and not siblings. Knowing that responsibility weighed less on her shoulders as it did her eldest brother, Jonathan Evelyn first found enjoyment, then she found boredom. While it seemed her siblings had something prestigious in mind – a legal education here, a magical education there and a military service somewhere in between – Evelyn was still sitting by windowsills absorbed into her books or running the fields. Then, she thought that scholarly pursuits would earn her that prestige but sibling rivalry and “I don’t want to be too much like them” pushed her towards something different. Seeking approval from Rowland, the girl fought harshly to squeeze herself a position within the Knights of the Owl; her father was proud and for the first time, he hugged her and she smiled at that. Then, during the War of Tulunese Succession Evelyn joined (quite gleefully, mind you) the Baron Percival, while some brothers went off with her father. By summer, 4E 21 Glenpoint was already lost and Percival and his knights remained in Fontfort. She had no regret over the chevaliers she’d killed, and even then, she wished she killed even more. Yet, she soon found killing did little to aid Glenpoint, failing even to protect and save her own comrades. She became discouraged, then she became bitter. But Evelyn would persist and she bickered with Rowland who began to lose support of the vainglorious baron. Her brothers were more gentle and attempted to pull her to them; but she was adamant remained afraid of disunity amongst the nobles. She grew resentful over the squabbling lords, suspicious of some to be in Daggerfall’s pocket – and a part of her was afraid where her father sat. Then on the night before Fontfort’s fall, she befriended a fellow knight, Rast Ammer. The next morning, Glenpoints banners were divided and the dissenters clashed with Percival’s knights and few loyal followers. Desperate, bloodthirsty and angry she picked up her sword and, alongside Rast brought it down on the dissenters. Strangely, she found the scuffle with her fellow Glennish to be more bloody and brutal than when she’d fought a Daggerfallian. Though she was careful not to bring the sword to her father or his men, and they her - her action in turning against her bloodline would be a decision she’d come to regret with all her heart. When the dust settled and Daggerfall’s forces came through the gates, Evelyn was found bloody, beaten and broken. She’d barely just saved her own life, but sustained heavy and severe injuries. Though she returned with her father, Jonathan did not and Rowland remarked he’d lost two children at Fontfort that day. Remorseful for her own betrayal to her family, her failure to save even her own friends, and for the lives of her countrymen she brutally claimed. She remained in her room where she recovered, too shamefaced and cowardly to leave and face her father or even the townspeople. When she finally mustered the courage, she came to him – to them all – and apologised. But even words can’t cover betraying one’s bloodline, and Rowland remained disappointed, ashamed and turned away. Reduced to walking with a cane and a painful limp, Evelyn was forced to put down the sword and turn from her knightly duties, though she couldn’t be gladder. One night, she packed a bag, slung it over her shoulder and left the estate and although she’d like to say she never looked back, she did it several times. She reasoned this was for the best, and her absence would at least save her family face. In search of atonement for her sins and failings, she made herself a vow to never kill again and instead protect and heal. Evelyn came to Daggerfall (the hole) and studied medicine and restoration under the mages and alchemist guilds in her pursuit of becoming a physician. Delving into her study, Evelyn was determined to discover the mysteries of anatomy, medicine and more importantly restoration. During her time away from home, only two of her siblings, Lucille and Andrew were ever in contact and she’d constantly urge them to come down to Daggerfall, in the many letters exchanged all the while seeking reconciliation with her father. To test this, she sent home money – knowing her family had fallen on financial hardship – and if it was not sent back, she would arrange to meet with Rowland. Unsurprisingly, he sent the coin back but she remained persistent and patient in awaiting his forgiveness. Recently, she came to join the cult of Mara where she formally took her oath, while she continued her studies under her Master, Vivien deLaine. Category:Nobility Category:Daggerfall Category:Breton Category:Characters Category:Glenpoint